Gold-plated jewelry is a favorite choice for many people, due to its elegance and renewal, in addition to its beautiful designs that add a distinctive touch that corresponds to many of the styles in the world of fashion.
In this article, we will get acquainted with the most important aspects of the gold plating process and the techniques and paths it contains.
- What is gold plating?
Gold plating: A process in which a thin layer of gold is added to a base metal, to produce gold-plated jewelry pieces.
- What minerals can gold plating be applied to?
Gold plating can be made on all known metals such as nickel, copper, stainless steel, silver, and modern industrial minerals such as tungsten and titanium, but the most popular are copper and silver.
- What is the process of electroplating gold?
Although gold plating is a simple process, it does need some steps that we will mention in order:
- You must first clean the piece of jewelry well and make sure that it is free of all contaminants, as depositing dirt on the piece will prevent the gold layer from sticking strong and durable, and it is preferable to clean the piece in several ways (you can read the article “The most important jewelry polishing techniques) to know all the information about the cleaning process
- A thin layer of high-quality nickel is coated on the base metal, to protect the gold layer from any impacts or interactions with the base metal.
- Jewelry is placed in gold-filled containers, and a positive electrical charge is used to melt gold onto the base metal.
- Once the required thickness of the gold layer is met, the jewelry is suspended to dry.
- How should the thickness of the gold plating layer be?
The thickness of gold plating can range between 0.15 and 2.5 microns, where pieces of low use or friction such as earrings or fashion clasps are coated with about 0.05% of gold, while the rest of the jewelry pieces such as rings or bracelets are coated with a ratio between 0.5 to 1.0 microns, which is the ratio Which is ideal for gold plating thickness.
There are also some types of jewelry coated which are called heavy-coated gold where the thickness of the gold plating layer is 2.5 microns.
- How long will the gold plating last?
Gold plating is intended to be durable and lasting for a long time, but like all types of paint, when exposed to rough surfaces over time the golden paint disappears, loses its luster and fades, and in general, the paint can last for up to two years with appropriate care.
- Rhodium plating
It is often used to hide faults from scratches and to give higher shine to silver or white gold, and since it is more solid than both silver and gold, it also creates an excellent protective layer that protects jewelry from scratches. One of its greatest advantages is that it does not deform and does not require specific cleaning procedures, as well. Rhodium plating is also a suitable option for people who are allergic to silver, as it will protect them from direct contact with the metal.
- How to care for gold-plated jewelry.
With proper care of gold-plated jewelry, you can prolong and keep it bright and beautiful, here are some steps that you should follow:
- Keep gold-plated jewelry away from chemicals, oils, and make-up, as it is always a good idea to always wear gold-plated jewelry after applying make-up, hairspray, and perfume.
- Take off the gold-plated jewelry when doing housework, as the chemicals in soaps and detergents can affect the paint.
- Gold-plated jewelry should not be displayed water that contains a high content of chlorine, or saltwater, which means that jewelry must be removed before swimming in hot tubs or the sea.
- Keep gold-plated jewelry from friction and scratching, as this will quickly wear the piece and lose its coating.
- Cleaning regularly gold-plated jewelry is important to extend their life, but avoid rubbing them with a hard brush or rubbing them as this will make them more susceptible to corrosion.
We have previously mentioned the most important points about gold plating, and you can start one of our training programs at the first professional jewelry design academy in Istanbul, “Varna Academy” to learn everything related to the world of jewelry design and gem art.